Daily Devotions · May 1
Reading for May 1
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
1 Chronicles 14–15 · Psalm 132 · Matthew 18
1 Chronicles 14–15 · Psalm 132 · Matthew 18, Berean Standard Bible
1 Chronicles 14
Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters, to build a palace for him. 2 And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had highly exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel. 3 And David took more wives in Jerusalem and became the father of more sons and daughters. 4 These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 7 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet. 8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they all went in search of him; but David learned of this and went out to face them. 9 Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim. 10 So David inquired of God, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” “Go,” replied the LORD, “for I will deliver them into your hand.” 11 So David and his men went up to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, God has burst out against my enemies by my hand.” So they called that place Baal-perazim. 12 There the Philistines abandoned their gods, and David ordered that they be burned in the fire. 13 Once again the Philistines raided the valley. 14 So David again inquired of God, who answered him, “Do not march up after them, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. 15 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle, because this will mean that God has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 16 So David did as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. 17 And David’s fame went out into every land, and the LORD caused all nations to fear him.
1 Chronicles 15
David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever.” 3 And David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it. 4 Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites: 5 From the Kohathites, Uriel the chief and 120 of his relatives; 6 from the Merarites, Asaiah the chief and 220 of his relatives; 7 from the Gershomites, Joel the chief and 130 of his relatives; 8 from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the chief and 200 of his relatives; 9 from the Hebronites, Eliel the chief and 80 of his relatives; 10 and from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the chief and 112 of his relatives. 11 David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12 And he said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13 It was because you Levites were not with us the first time that the LORD our God burst forth in anger against us. For we did not consult Him about the proper order.” 14 So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD. 16 David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah; from their brothers the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah; 18 and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. 19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals. 20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to Alamoth. 21 And Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to Sheminith. 22 Chenaniah the head Levite was the director of the music because he was highly skilled. 23 Berechiah and Elkanah were to be guardians of the ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer—the priests—were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also to be guardians of the ark. 25 So David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands went with rejoicing to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom. 26 And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. 27 Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the director of music for the singers. David also wore a linen ephod. 28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and with cymbals and the music of harps and lyres. 29 As the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart.
Psalm 132
A song of ascents. O LORD, remember on behalf of David all the hardships he endured, 2 how he swore an oath to the LORD, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: 3 “I will not enter my house or get into my bed, 4 I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, 5 until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.” 6 We heard that the ark was in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of Jaar. 7 Let us go to His dwelling place; let us worship at His footstool. 8 Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. 9 May Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and Your saints shout for joy. 10 For the sake of Your servant David, do not reject Your anointed one. 11 The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne. 12 If your sons keep My covenant and the testimony I will teach them, then their sons will also sit on your throne forever and ever.” 13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His home: 14 “This is My resting place forever and ever; here I will dwell, for I have desired this home. 15 I will bless her with abundant provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16 I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will sing out in joy. 17 There I will make a horn grow for David; I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one. 18 I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown upon him will gleam.”
Matthew 18
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. 3 “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me. 6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. 10 See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven. 11 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. 15 If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather together in My name, there am I with them.” 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times! 23 Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlements, a debtor owing ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned. 26 Then the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Have patience with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him. 28 But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But he refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay his debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and recounted all of this to their master. 32 Then the master summoned him and said, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt because you begged me. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed. 35 That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain.
How to SOAP
Grab a journal and a pen. Read the chapters above and watch for the verse that stops you. Then take it through four steps.
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Scripture
Write out the verse that stood out to you.
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Observation
What is it saying? Who is speaking, and to whom?
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Application
What does it mean for your life today? Be specific.
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Prayer
Talk to God about it. Ask Him to help you live it.
Your SOAP journal
Write your SOAP here. Tap any verse in the reading to add it to Scripture. Your journal saves on this device only, so no one else sees it.
Added to your journal. Go to journal
Why daily devotions?
Devotions are time set aside each day to read God's Word and let Him speak. The point isn't checking off chapters. It's meeting with Him.
Ten or fifteen minutes is enough to start. Pick a time and a place and keep the appointment. Mornings work well for a lot of us, before the phone and the day start talking.
Missed a day? Don't start over. Read today's chapters and keep going.